The NEW Game Journal

[Desert Walker]

So, moved on from Batman: Arkham Asylum back to the Jak & Daxter collection and polished off Jak 1 (well, mostly) and started on Jak 2.  Interesting game and a lot of fun so far, though, I'll give it that.  There's definitely some GTA3 influence here, what with the new open world-city, GTA-styled map, hovercraft-jacking and new, darker-personality Jak (who is no longer silent).  Unfortunately the hover-craft missions are still in place.  I wouldn't mind except that the actions expected of you require far too much precision for the loose controls.

I'm also continuing to work on Etrian Odyssey III which has been pretty awesome.  It's one of the few RPGs that makes me want to start slow and easy and between that and the map making it has actually been pretty relaxing up to this point.  It really makes you employ some strategy since you only get one point per level, though.  I'm still in B1 grinding about for items and cash, but I've explored every part of B1 that I can from the one entrance currently available to me, so I expect that I will hit B2 soon enough.

[Yoda]

I've been waiting very patiently for a SKYRIM omnibus bundle. Give it to me fuckers

[MeshGearFox]

@ DW: I only played Jak 1 but I liked it a lot, or what I played of it anyway. In particular the explorationy nature of it, which is something I found REALLY lacking in the... third Ratchet and Clank game? Whichever R&C I played. Very linear levels in that.

Geneforge - Cleared out one of the bridges east of Pentil and took care of the spawner infestation in Pentil East.

Played the Conquest of Elysium 3 demo a bit. Seems quite fun, and apparently individual games of it are rather short. Might buy it, idk.

Also considering hooking the xbox to play Phantom Dust.

[Yoda]

Just beat resident evil 6. What a shitty ending lol... the final level of Ada's chapter has you controlling a helicopter. While you're flying through the streets you pass over scenes of destruction and there are littered vehicles strewn about. These cars are shittier looking than cars used in some PS1 games. I know who cares ... right? But it just speaks to some of the lazy turns taken for such a grandiose scale game. Sure, the characters and the enemies are all gorgeous, well except for the tentacle-helmeted dudes you fight in Ada's chapter.

I like the idea of Ada's chapter, but there's very little context given as to why she's at all the main points in the game.

Oh well. her campaign starts off brilliant but the last chapter sux. As a whole, res 6 is fun as fuck but that's mainly due to co-op. I still have no idea what's going on in the series, but who cares I guess.

rage
ico
alan wake
resident evil 5
journey
dragon age 2

amlur
me3
uncharted 2
batsy: arkham asylum
infamous
ass 2
Deus Ex: HR
Darksiders 1
Assassin's Creed: Brothers in the Hood
Blands2
Resident evil 6

[Yggdrasil]

I still have no idea what's going on in the series, but who cares I guess.

Blame the consistency of the translations that Capcom has maintained over the years with the series.

[Monsoon]

I guess I should add Civilization V: Gods and Kings to my list of beaten games, because I've beaten it... at least ten or eleven times this year.  Religions are fun, but I don't like basing a major strategy around them.  Religious structures and spreading them around for bonuses are nifty, but I'm still way more inclined to strategize around building up gold, science, or culture.  Fav civs are Babylon (science!), Greece (diplomacy!), and Ethiopia (faith and culture!).  

[MeshGearFox]

>Add religion to Civ 4
>Remove religion for Civ 5.
>Re-add religion with an expansion.

>:C

[Yoda]

I still have no idea what's going on in the series, but who cares I guess.

Blame the consistency of the translations that Capcom has maintained over the years with the series.

I doubt that's as much as an issue as bad storytelling.

[Yggdrasil]

I'm not going to dare to talk about the story of RE because that always ends in misunderstandings. I was just mentioning one aspect of why RE is kind of a mess.

[Desert Walker]

Playing Etrian Odyssey 3 now.  I made it to floor 2 and nearly got my ass handed to me by a giant duck (or rather, a string of them).  I'll just say that I was very, very glad that I randomly decided to add lightning to my alchemist's fire repertoire.  I'll be exploring the second floor again soon but will be listening to the advice from the guy in the bar to try to avoid the second floor during the day.  At least until my party gets more grinding in.  I'm not even attempting any of the F.O.E.'s until I've done some serious grinding.  Speaking of grinding, I <3 the auto-pilot system.  Use it to set your team up on a continuous loop and use auto-battle and you seriously reduced the tedium that goes along with grinding.  It feels like the designers said "Well, we're going to make this game difficult and require you to grind, so we're going to help make it easier."  I really appreciate it.

By the way, I picked this game up used a while back (along with the pre-order art book <3) and when I first started playing a few days ago I decided to load up the existing save file just for the hell of it.  I discovered that I was a member of the Balls Guild with a team posssessing names like Farts1 and Farts2.  Damn if THAT didn't bring back memories of renting video games back in the day....

[Kevadu]

Was just playing Tales of Graces f, doing the Warrior's Roost arena thing in the future arc.  I worked my way all the way up from the lowest level in one go (no easy task since I'm playing on moderate and haven't power leveled or anything) and was fighting Poisson at the top (and doing pretty well, though it's a long battle 'cause she has crazy hit points) when the game crashed...

That was the first time the game has ever crashed on me, but I don't think I could have picked a worse time if I tried.  I lost about an hour, but it was an hour of constant difficult battles for which there is no guarantee I'll do as well even if I repeat them.  Way to completely sap my desire to keep playing, game.

[MeshGearFox]

Minecraft - Ffffffffff i haven't played this in years what am I doing. Ended up installing a minimap mod because my PC isn't good enough to to have a high enough view distance that the inuksuit I'm building are actually useful.

Eador: Genesis - This seems really cool but I'm not sure the manual was ever translated. I'm still on the tutorial map, trying to get into a position where I can take out the enemy stronghold. I think after I do that I get to another strategic map or something.

---edit---

Yyyyeeeeah, beat the first mission of Eador, found out that none of your stuff appears to carry over between missions, AI seems pretty prone to brute-force tactics, game feels like it's going to get grind heavy, and I think I've seen everything, in terms of gameplay mechanics, that it really has to offer.

[(Tunnels)]

Walking Dead Episode 3

Now that school's done for the semester, I got some catching up to do. Decided to do play some Walking Dead, only to find that my save for episode 2 didn't take, and I had to replay the whole episode. That wasn't too bad, and I got to re-do one of the decisions I wasn't happy with (I feel it was my prerogative since the game didn't keep my save.) Episode 3 is just as nuts, and there was one scene where my jaw literally dropped. My opinion about some of the characters has completely been turned on its head. The episode was so intense that I have to sit back and let it all soak in. Very emotionally powerful.

[Dice]

I still have no idea what's going on in the series, but who cares I guess.

Blame the consistency of the translations that Capcom has maintained over the years with the series.

I doubt that's as much as an issue as bad storytelling.

I thought Ada's final chapter was hilarious.  Probably not intended.  I guess what was left to do though?  She had to explain to chopper and all that.

It is shit story telling.

- Carla:  Simmons doesn't love me even though he has the face of a police profile sketch of a rapist!
- Simmons: Ada's got a sweet candy apple ass.  She does missions for me [?]
- Ada: Naw Simmons, this ass too good fo' yo' ass
- Simmons: DAAAAMN YOOOOU ADDAAA 
- *plans scheme to make world into Zombie cacoons that transform people into other people making heinous abominations that, of course, you fight off*
- Ada: Fucken Simmons...

- Simmons: ooohhh Caaarlaaa~
- Carla: M'yes Simmons?! <3
- Simmons: Inject this needle into yourself
- Carla: Anything for you Simmons!!
- *Japan-magic transforms Carla into Ada-II through elaborate "coccoon-based" sciences*
- Carla/Ada: I am Ada!  I'm gunna do missions like the real me does!
- *shit happens, then big reveal*
- "Ada": Say what?!?!  I'm not real Ada?  Well fuck the world!  I'm gonna drop zombie goo everywhere.

---story here---
- Leon: Ada?  ...H-Helena!!!  But...Ada!  Mmm Ada.....Ada...ada....adadadadadadadadablahblahblah SIMMONS! Ada...
- Helena: *sexy groans* Sister!!! *sadness*  Simmons *grr*
- Chris: Such a dark fucking period of my life!
- Piers: God Chris has a nice ass....
- Jake: [mommy/daddy issues aside, demands money for pint of blood, but will settle on touching Sherry's parts]
- Sherry: "Can't heal fast enough" to deal with in-game deaths
- Ada: Well wait, I'm Ada.  What kind of bullshit?  Eugh, nevermind *cleans shit up*
* Ada kills Simmons with Leon's help, and takes of Carla's mutaded face by shooting bullets at her fungus then freezing it[?]; comes on top of love triangle by killing off the other two players, leaves Leon hanging for another title and to wait till their golden years before possible hug scene*

RESIDENT EVIL 7: Where Jake learns from Chris Redfield's example by helping a Middle-Eastern boy-girl fist-off another zombie invasion... because nukes ain't a thang....ZOMBIES....ZOMBIES.  And Ada reveals she's actually gay so any of this AdaxSimmonsxLeon business is retconned.

Playing Radiant Historia on train.  Battery nearly dead.  Trying to make the game hard by purposely running through without switching till mandatory.

[Bytor]

Assassin's Creed Brotherhood is fun, for whatever reason I am not enjoying it as much as II, still fun but I dunno, just can't seem to get as attached to the story.

I felt the same way. Wait until the final act. blurgh

yep